By Catarina Demony
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain mobilised 1,000 extra specialised police officers in case of racist rioting at the weekend and the government said it was considering tightening regulations around social media companies after days of unrest driven by online misinformation.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said extra police numbers and swift justice had deterred people he referred to as “far-right thugs” since Wednesday, but that the authorities would remain on high alert for further trouble.
Racist attacks and disorder have mostly targeted Muslims and migrants. Hotels housing asylum-seekers have had their windows smashed and mosques have been pelted with rocks.
Those involved in the riots could expect to be brought before the courts, Starmer said, noting that what he called “significant sentences” had already been handed out.
“That is a very important part of the message to anybody who is thinking about getting involved in further disorder,” he said.
More than 480 people have been arrested so far for involvement in attacks on Muslim, immigration and other sites as well as police and passers-by since late last month, with a 13-year-old among nearly 150 charged.
Data released on Friday by the Justice Ministry showed that more than 150 of those arrested have already appeared in court. Dozens have already been jailed with cases fast-tracked through the justice system and more due to be sentenced on Friday.
The riots broke out across the country after a wave of false online posts wrongly identified the suspected killer of three young girls in a knife attack on July 29 in Southport, northwest England, as an Islamist migrant.
Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas–Symonds told Sky News earlier on Friday that 1,000 extra specialised police officers had been mobilised across the country ahead of the weekend.
He also said the government would revisit the framework of the country’s Online Safety Act that regulates social media companies’ responsibilities regarding content inciting violence or hate.
“We stand ready to make changes if necessary,” he said of the act, passed in October but not due to come into effect until next year due to a consultation process.
Predicted widespread far-right riots failed to materialise on Wednesday, when thousands of counter-protesters took the streets across the country, giving hope to authorities and worried community leaders that the disorder was fizzling out.
“We have to stay on high alert going into this weekend,” Starmer told reporters.
It is not clear how many far-right gatherings are planned or if they will go ahead. There are around 40 counter-protests due on Saturday, according to the Stand Up to Racism group.
(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Additional reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Kylie MacLellan and Philippa Fletcher)
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